The present invention relates generally to a method and system for visually and functionally extending the reach of web sites, and more particularly, to a method and system for visually and functionally extending the reach of web sites through the use of interactive, multimedia previews deployed in a variety of online applications.
While the Internet has transformed from a niche technology into a mass communication and commerce medium, many web sites remain too complex for the average individual to effectively and efficiently use. As more and more consumers and potential consumers come online for the first time, there is an increasing need for some instruction or education by web sites to ensure that their initial experiences online are enjoyable and productive. Many first-time users presently turn to offline sourcesxe2x80x94such as books like BUYING ONLINE FOR DUMMIES and THE COMPLETE IDIOT""S GUIDE TO ONLINE SHOPPING for this instruction or education.
Another common frustration voiced by consumers and potential consumers is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to efficiently find what they are looking for as the World Wide Web continues to grow at an exponential rate. For example, a recent search for xe2x80x9ctoysxe2x80x9d on Yahoo generated over 2500 matching results, with BIRD-E-TOYS.COM appearing at the top of the list. Studies have shown that online users are generally more interested in the quality, rather than the quantity of the results returned by search engines and directories. A recent MEDIAMETRIX report showed that almost 40% of the total time spent of the Web is spent at the 100 most popular sites on the Web. This trend is even more evident when focusing solely on consumersxe2x80x94the top 50 sites accounted. for almost three-quarters of the revenue generated by consumers online in 1988. As a result, a consumer or potential consumer searching on Yahoo for some of the most recognized online toy brandsxe2x80x94like ETOYS, TOYSRUS, and FAO SCHWARTZxe2x80x94would have to wade through hundreds or irrelevant results to find those sites.
Even when a consumer or potential consumer is able to locate popular e-commerce sites using YAHOO or another conventional search directory or engine, it is impossible to develop any appreciation for the breadth or depth of those sties through the text-based, static manner in which results are presented. For example, when ETOYS appears in search results on YAHOO, the only information that is presented to a consumer or potential consumer is a hyperlink to ETOYS home page, and the following description of the site: xe2x80x9cWeb-based retailer focused exclusively on children""s products, including toys, video games, software, videos, and music.xe2x80x9d Text-based, static results such as these are not very likely to grab the attention of consumers or potential consumers, nor are the likely to provide any insight into the features and services of the web site.
Consumers and potential consumers are not alone in their frustration. In an increasingly competitive market online, companiesxe2x80x94especially e-tailersxe2x80x94know that they must visually and functionally extend the reach of their sites to attract new visitors and convert those visitors into consumers. The ability to extend the reach of a site becomes particularly important as consumers and potential consumers continue to converge on fewer and fewer web sites. Moreover, the traditional methods companies have utilized to extend the reach of their sitesxe2x80x94such as banner advertisementsxe2x80x94have simply not proved effective. This is hardly surprising given the fact that traditional banner ads are simply unable to convey to consumers and potential consumers the interactive nature and multimedia content that increasing defines the online experience. As a result, companiesxe2x80x94who spent approximately $5.5 billion in online advertising in 1999xe2x80x94are looking for alternative, more effective ways to attract new consumers online. For example, many companies are turning to rich media advertising in an attempt to attract new visitors to their sites. While rich media advertising will likely increase the return on investment for online advertisers, simply converting traditional banner advertisements into rich media advertisements may not be enough to grab the attention of new consumers and potential consumers if they are still not able to truly experience the breadth and depth of a site, product or service offering through that advertisement.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved method and system for online companies to visually and functionally extend the reach of their sites, and more particularly, for doing so while simultaneously consumers and potential consumers with (1) the instruction or education they need to make their initial online experiences enjoyable and (2) an appreciation for the breadth and depth of those sites, products or service offerings.
Therefore, the present invention provides an improved method and systems for online companies to visually and functionally extend the reach of their sites. In a presently preferred embodiment, this is accomplished through the creation and deployment of self-playing, interactive, animated, multimedia previews of sites, products and services on the Web. A plurality of site previews and features are stored in a central database, from which they can be accessed and deployed in a variety of online applications. Site previews generally are animated, multimedia educational or instructional overviews of a web site that provide a user with basic information about the site""s focus, arrangement, content and/or features. Site features are similar to site previews, but are generally designed to focus on more detailed attributes of a site, a product or service offering, and typically include certain integrated functional enhancements such as the ability to conduct secure transactions directly within feature, the ability to capture and track consumer and clickstream data directly within the feature, the ability to dynamically update the content contained within the feature, and the ability the interactively customize a product or service offered within the feature.
One of the unique advantages of the present invention is that the same site preview or feature can be simultaneously deployed in a variety of online applications. For example, in a presently preferred embodiment, all of the site previews and features are accessible through a visual search directory. In contrast to conventional search engines and directories wherein search results are provided in a text-based or static manner, the present invention provides for a visual search directory that provides users with search results in the form of self-playing, interactive, animated, multimedia previews and features. Additionally, the same previews and features deployed through the visual search directory can also be accessed through a variety of other online applications. For example, a site preview can be accessed directly from an advertiser""s site, as it is integrated into their online customer support and service system. As such, it provides a more cost-effective solution for manner routine customer service questions that may not need to be immediately escalated to some version of live help, phone support or e-mail response provided by the advertiser. Moreover, the same site preview can also be accessed directly from a third party site through a standard banner ad that is served from an online banner ad network. The ability to deploy site previews and features in a variety of online applications enables online companies to better visually and functionally extend the reach of their sites.